An early outlier in the ECM catalog, Output convulses with as much lively originality as it did when it was first released. Wolfgang Dauner, perhaps better known as founder of the United Jazz + Rock Ensemble (which saw ECM greats Eberhard Weber, Kenny Wheeler, and Charlie Mariano pass through its hallowed halls), assembles a modest trio of talent for this classic 1970 studio free-for-all. The end result is humor, provocation, brilliance, and chaos all rolled into one. Most of the album flirts with any number of possible paths, the sole exception being “Nothing To Declare,” a relatively straight-laced tangent into jazzy territory in which Dauner has a field day with his modulator. “Mudations” and “Brazing The High Sky Full” serve as cryptic bookends, while tracks like “Abraxas” whet our appetite with more provocative flavors. Superb, if jumbled, musicianship and a strong attention to detail make for a unique experience all around. Dauner does wonders with limited means, Braceful sheds his skin at every turn, and this is a far cry from the Weber of the languid orchestral suites. Not an easy listen for the faint of heart, but one that will give back what’s put into it and, like the fully opened cover, gathers its power from another dimension.

3 comments:

The single best item that the sharity blog world introduced me to. Too daring for ECM to reissue (it might ruffle the label's latterday immaculate poise a little) - could be the avant-Jazz counterpart of the first Kraftwerk LP.